mandag, november 28, 2005

Hello All! Right now Simon and I are house sitting for a friend of ours who just went to pick up their newly adopted daughter from the Philippines. It is snowing outside and in about an hour I am going to walk a half hour to the train station to go to work (up hill both ways). O ga! I thought I would write, however, and fill you in on Thanksgiving.

Traditionally, in Denmark only the Danish Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. And since this is no national holiday, it was no work holiday either. So after 3 hours with the kids at Billesborg, Simon and I were invited to Charles (from Texas) and Marianne’s (a Dane) house for dinner (Billesborg natives). All seven of us (they have 3 kids) ate turkey, bisquits, deviled eggs, cream of corn, candied yams, black eyed peas, mash potatoes, stuffing and, of course, pumpkin pie. Then, we sat around reminiscing about American food and watched the Andy Griffith Show. We were gonna watch Miracle on 31st street afterwards but instead I studied Charles’ Rome pictures as he explained each of them one by one. Ugh, that is a place I’m dahing to go. So much history!

Speaking of history, this week my Danish teacher Rosie, gave us a lesson about American Thanksgiving in Danish and then sent an English worksheet home with us to study. She said, “This is important American history that I expect all of my students to know.” When she handed out the paper I thought I would know everything since I was American for crying out loud and it was my history, but I only knew like 20%. Here I am in Denmark with my teacher who is from Germany and she knows more about America than I do. Anyway, I thought I would challenge each and everyone of you with these questions. The question is: Am I American or retarded? Perhaps some of you will help me in this quest for my identity and confirm that I am just an innocent American who didn’t do so well in history!

1. Lincoln helped abolish _________ in the USA? (ok, so I’m not that naive)
2. In 1620, what group of people landed in the area that is now called Massachusetts?
3. How many Pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower?
4. The Pilgrims sailed from which country?
5. Paul Revere is famous for warning the colonists that __________ were coming?
6. Sacajawea was a guide for which famous explorers?
7. Sitting Bull was a chief from which tribe?
8. What country gave the Statue of Liberty to the USA?
9. In what year was the first Thanksgiving feast in the US held?
10. What is the name of the network that Harriet Tubman and others used to help slaves escape to freedom?
11. How many states are in the USA? (This is a tricky one. Better get out the Encyclopedias.)
12. Amerigo Vespucci realized that the Americas were not connected to which continent?
13. Washington, D.C., is located between which two states?
14. Which war is George Washington most famous for fighting in?
15. What is the address of the White House?

So that was our Thanksgiving. It was about the same as the states, granted I learned something. Anything I went without here was made up amongst company, food and education. Hope all of you had a good one as well. Like all of us here, I know all of you have much to be thankful for. Blessings!

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